Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 485_1

Chapter 485: Chapter 485_1

The room was warmed with a charcoal basin, and the couple immediately felt a wave of warmth as they stepped through the door.

Mother Lin breathed a sigh of relief subconsciously, her eyes showing a hint of appreciation for the maid waiting at the side.

Indeed, it felt better to have someone taking care of things.

"Madam."

Cheng Yue bowed her head respectfully, her previous recklessness nowhere to be seen.

Most of the guards in the City Lord’s Residence had followed Shen Wenchen out of the city, leaving only four maids in the Residence.

After the last incident, the young girl had come to a full understanding.

Ms. Zhao didn’t like Qing Lian and had never shown her a pleasant face. After witnessing this over time, Cheng Yue gradually perceived the disparity and took a step back in her relationship with Qing Lian.

This time, with Ma Po falling ill and Nanzhi needing care, only Cheng Yue and Qing Lian were left in the kitchen. Naturally, Ms. Zhao handed the task to the more pleasing Cheng Yue, while Qing Lian was assigned to the care of Ma Po.

"You may rise."

Mother Lin merely motioned for her to rise then moved past her to check on Nanzhi.

The sound of rain continued outside the window, but the room was warm. Nanzhi had had a good sleep overnight.

Seeing her rosy complexion, Mother Lin felt her worrying heart settle. But then, her eyes landed on Shen Zhiyu who was curled up on a nearby couch, and her eyes welled up with tears again.

"Oh, come on now, everything is alright isn’t it." Father Lin grumbled, but he tenderly handed her a handkerchief.

Cheng Yue stood aside, feeling somewhat awkward and unsure of what to do, standing there like a wooden block.

While her family was neither rich nor poor, hence them being able to afford a few taels of silver to send her to serve in the City Lord’s Residence, she hadn’t done much household work before and had spent most of her time working in the kitchen since her arrival. She had little experience in caring for others, and it would be a lie to say she wasn’t scared facing her masters now.

The last time the couple had been sent to the government office, the kitchen staff predicted a grim future for them. Recognizing her lowly status, Cheng Yue would be lying if she said she wasn’t scared.

What if she made a mistake and was sold off by her master?

As her heart fret, she heard voices from outside the room.

Outside, Lin Yicheng looked at Xiaohe, who was sitting on the roof, full of confusion and wonder.

Even though Xiaohe wasn’t mortal, what was he doing sitting there so early in the morning?

"Xiaohe, what are you doing up there?"

With a question in his heart, Lin Yicheng couldn’t hold back and asked from the corridor.

Xiaohe seemed not to hear his question and remained sitting still.

Seeing that he didn’t answer, Lin Yicheng awkwardly withdrew his gaze and went back into the room.

"Father, Mother, why have you come so early?"

Lin Yicheng was also worried about his hapless sister, but seeing their mother’s reddened eyes only added to his distress.

"Your mother has been worried about Nanzhi and didn’t sleep well last night."

Father Lin sighed, gently patting his wife’s back, hoping to comfort her.

"Why did you come?"

Mother Lin collected her emotions and then turned to her eldest son.

Even though they were siblings, they still needed to be mindful.

"I was worried about Nanzhi," Lin Yicheng scratched his head, explaining.

He and Cuicui hadn’t slept well last night either, especially when Cuicui mentioned that her eyelid had been twitching all night, indicating something bad might happen.

But with the heavy rain outside, he didn’t feel comfortable letting his wife and child run back and forth, so he came alone.

"Fat Maid is OK.

"Glad to hear it."

As father and son chatted, Shen Zhiyu, lying on a small couch nearby, was roused by their voices and opened his eyes in a daze.

After getting drenched in rain and crying all night, the wee lad’s face was now flushed, and his forehead felt hot.

"Zhiyu, why is your face so red?"

Keen-eyed Lin Yicheng was the first to notice Shen Zhiyu after he woke up. Seeing his off color, Lin Yicheng began to feel uneasy and hurried to check his forehead.

Feeling the burning heat under his fingers, a frisson of fear ran through Lin Yicheng’s heart.

Fearing that his young nephew had caught a cold, he looked at him sickly.

"Uncle, I feel awful."

Little Zhiyu’s voice was hoarse, but he feared waking his mother, who was sleeping nearby, and spoke in a low whisper.

He felt his head throbbing and heavy. Each movement caused something to shake inside his head, stirring sharp pain. Moreover, he was completely drained and felt incredibly hot.

"Father, Zhiyu has a fever!"

Lin Yicheng’s face was contorted with anxiety and Cheng Yue, standing by, looked stunned.

She had cared for them all night. The lady certainly seemed fine and she had checked on the young master the previous night, ensuring that he was alright, before covering him with a quilt.

Why would he suddenly develop a fever?

Lin’s parents were already anxious and this news only added to their ire. There was a heavy rainfall, and few people in the Residence could be mobilized. There were originally two doctors in the Residence. One had already gone to a village outside the city with Shen Wenchen. The other, who was supposed to look after Nanzhi, had left early because of some family matters.

How were they supposed to handle this sudden crisis now?

Moreover, Jingzhi was not in the city...

Lin’s mother was frantic, but Xiaohe, outside the house, opened his eyes.

Gazing at the distant, heavy clouds, the young man’s face was cold, his eyes gleaming with murder.

It’s here.

Outside the city, Shen Wenchen and his group were dispersing a stench in the mountain hollows and their faces were charcoaled by the smoke and fire.

"Big brother Shen, be careful!"

Having just killed three rats that flung themselves at him, Aze saw a giant rat, from the grove of trees, fixating its gaze on Shen Wenchen. Before Aze could react, the rat sprang towards Shen Wenchen from the slope.

The rat was all white, its fur glistening as if it was smeared with oil. Its eyes were blood red and its whiskers bristling. A mere glance was enough to send chills down the spine.

That rat was not ordinary.

Surrounded by a swarm of rats, Shen Wenchen had just vanquished the ones in front when he heard Aze’s cry of alarm. Immediately, he held his breath, focused his mind, and after severing the rat in front with a swift stroke, he rolled away from his former position.

The white rat, its whiskers fully spread, stared intently at Shen Wenchen as if wanting to devour him.

Shen Wenchen’s eyes hardened, and he held the knife even tighter.

An hour ago, they had sprinkled all the medicinal powder from the Second Leader in those caves, mixing it with three pots of Liquor as a precaution. They shook it well and poured it in, before setting it on fire.

The fire, following the dried leaves and Liquor, moved deeper into the cave, carrying the heavily medicated smoke, which didn’t spare them either.

They were not the only ones. The stench now veiled the rats coming out of the cave and they, too, were not spared.

In a few short breaths, the silent cave rang out with countless squeaks as the rats rushed out in haste. Shen Wenchen and his party were prepared and didn’t let them escape.

They could tell that the medicinal powder was taking effect because the rats emerged significantly slower now. Thanks to the smoke from the medicine on their bodies, many rats didn’t dare to approach them directly.

Though they had been fighting for half a day, the sheer number of rats seemed unending. The ground was now littered with rat corpses, the air filled with the mingled stench of their blood and foul odor. Rats were still flooding out from the holes.

Watching members of its species rotting away on the ground, the white rat stood upright, its eyes fixated on Shen Wenchen. It then stretched its neck and squeaked a couple of times before flinging itself at Shen Wenchen with a do-or-die attitude.